Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Andona.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Andonaxe2x80x99.
The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke-Staden, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross made in September, 1997, in Oostnieuwkerke-Staden, Belgium, of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum identified as code number 442, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified selection of Chrysanthemum, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Oostnieuwkerke-Staden, Belgium.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Oostnieuwkerke-Staden, Belgium since November, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Andona has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Andonaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Andonaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Rounded plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.
3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.
4. Duplex-type inflorescences.
5. Yellow-colored ray florets and darker yellow-colored disc florets.
6. Natural season flowering in late September in the Northern Hemisphere.
7. Good garden performance.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the parent selections primarily in ray floret coloration.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Galura, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke-Staden, Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Galura in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more rounded and not as upright as plants of the cultivar Galura.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Galura.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about 10 to 15 days later than plants of the cultivar Galura.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Galura.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Dark Veria, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,215. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke-Staden, Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Dark Veria in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three weeks earlier than plants of the cultivar Dark Veria.
2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum had more ray florets per inflorescence than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Dark Veria.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker yellow in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Dark Veria.